GNY Olympians: Enjoying the Games, With an Eye on 2016

Donn Cabral placed eighth in the final steeplechase race in the 2012 Olympics on Aug. 5.

“Last night was the big celebration,” Cabral said. After the race, Cabral returned to the Olympic village to meet about two dozen of his greatest supporters—his close and extended family, coach and friends from home—who donned extravagant American garb, banners and flags.

“That was the special moment of the evening.”

The group went out to dinner together to celebrate Cabral’s accomplishments. “We all got together and I got to have a moment with everyone. I think getting to share that with everyone was the highlight of the Olympics for me,” Cabral said.

Cabral said he is happy with his outcome at the Olympics. “It’s pretty amazing, obviously,” Cabral said. “It is a dream come true, and it’s hard to say what that feels like—it’s probably one of the best feelings in the world.”

The night before the race, Cabral intentionally stayed up until 2 a.m., so that he would wake up late on race day. “I woke up at 11 a.m. and didn’t have to be awake the whole day,” Cabral said. Amazingly, he was not anxious the night before and had no trouble falling asleep. “This race was the cherry on top, not a make-or-break event. The night before the trial races in Oregon [that decided whether Cabral would go to the Olympics], I had much more anxiety. I was excited [for the final race], but it was nothing I couldn’t handle,” Cabral said.

There are lessons that Cabral learned from the Olympics this year that will help him prepare differently for the 2016 Olympic Games.

“Next time, my goal won’t be to just make the Olympics. It will be to win a medal. Fourth place isn’t really any better than eighth place,” Cabral said. “I want to take a shot at [the gold], but at this point it’s way too far out to say what will happen. One thing I’ve gotten really good at is enjoying the race regardless of the outcome. If I were to walk away with the silver, I might be one of the happiest silver medalists out there.”

Cabral is staying and training in London until August 13, and then he will travel to Stockholm to compete in the Samsung Diamond League Galan. He’s not kissing his Olympic days goodbye, though. “I have unfinished business,” Cabral said. “I have a lot of improvement to build upon through the 2016 games, and I want to keep toeing the line side-by-side with my teammates. We want to push American steeplechasing and rival other countries, especially Kenya. We have a bright future ahead of us, and we’re looking ahead to big opportunities.”

What Cabral is taking away from the Olympics this year is the American spirit.

“I’m taking away just how much the country gets behind its athletes. I’ve always thought that running is a self-indulging sport, but I’m realizing that I can make a difference in people’s lives—whether it’s inspiring people to get out and run when they’re having health issues, or just making people happy with the success I’ve had, as a close childhood friend or a local person who came from the same roots, and realizes their dreams,” Cabral said. “It surprises me that I can impact people with my running but apparently it’s happening, and I love that.”